The Guide to Amestris
by LeFay Strent 2.0
Summary: A writer's guide to FMA fanfiction.
1. Fanfiction Terminology

**WARNING: The information in this guide is to be taken as advice, not strictly as fact. The sections you'll find are based upon my experiences with the FMA fandom, both in reading and writing for it. Some of my stories will be used as examples occasionally, but it is not necessary for you to have read them to understand the point I'm making. I've tried to make this as easy to follow as possible while spicing it up to make it a little fun, so I hope it is enjoyed.**

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**Fanfiction Terminology**

**This section will include popular terms used for fanfics and their definitions.**

**OC: **Original character.

**Canon: **Characters, setting, and plot that remains true to the story/show/manga (opposite of ooc)

**OOC: **Out of character. Characters acting unlike themselves (opposite of cannon)

**AU: **Alternate Universe. Taking a character or characters out of their canon setting and putting them in a different one. Example: Making Ed a rock star in today's modern world…actually, that'd be kinda cool!

**Mary-Sue: **A cliché, predictable character (a writer's worst nightmare)

**Lemon/Lime: **A scene in the story involving sexual acts

**Smut: **Sexual story without plot

**Yaoi: **A pairing in a story including two males.

**Yuri: **A pairing in a story including two females

**Slash: **Same-sex male pairings

**Femslash: **Same-sex female pairings

**One-shot: **A short story; one chapter long

**Drabble: **Not exactly a short story. More like a random scene.

**Flame:**An insulting critique of a story or author (generally, these are big no-no's)

**Crack: **A story with deliberately bizarre aspects. Example: Ed going to sleep in a refrigerator… (no seriously, I read that in a cracky story one time)

**Fluff: **Cute scenes or moments in a story

**Crossover: **Blending of fandoms. Ex: A story about the FMA characters going to Wonderland.

**Songfic: **A story centered around a song. (Despite being banned from Fanfiction due to legality issues people still write and post them)

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**Ratings:**

**K: **For kids. Suitable for all ages

**K+: **For youth. Suitable for children over 9 years of age

**T: **For teens. Suitable for teens over 13 years of age

**M: **For older teen. Suitable for teens over 16 years of age.

**MA/NC-17: **For mature. Limited only to adults over 18 years of age. (Rating not included on Fanfiction, though some authors include this rating in their summary)


	2. Plots-Plot Twists-Cliffhangers

**Plot/Plot Twists/Cliffhangers**

**This sections will include information on popular plots, how to form them, plot twists and when to use them, and cliffhangers.**

**PLOTS:**

Plots are the main idea and focus of a story. Write with the plot in mind and if you ever stray from it never stay away too long. When forming one, you generally want it to be something original and never before seen. However, many writers use popular plots, stories that have been done a hundred times before, or if done too many times they are considered cliché. Many have a love for that particular plot and want to give their hand at writing it and that's okay because they're popular for a reason! But don't let them stay cliché. Make them your own, give them original twists, do _something_! Even when using a popular plot for a story a good author can make it something readers have never seen before.

**Popular Plots for FMA:** **some of the more common plots people use for the FMA universe**

-Character becoming a chimera (usually Ed becoming a neko(cat))

-The main OC being a chimera (usually escaped from the fifth laboratory)

-Characters in a high school setting

-Characters somehow becoming toddlers (usually a parental story where Ed becomes a toddler and Mustang has to take care of him)

-The main OC being a homunculus

-Characters becoming a homunculus

-Characters having amnesia

-Characters somehow changing genders

-Characters getting raped, beaten, kidnapped, etc. (all that good angsty stuff!)

-The main OC becoming a State Alchemist

-Time travel

-The main OC dying and crossing the gate to Amestris

I actually see this last one a lot, although not all of the OC's have to die to cross the gate. Some find a way to perform alchemy. Anyway, a lot of them will, once coming to Amestris, either become a chimera or homunculus, lose their memory, have a Philosopher's Stone, become targeted by the Homunculi, have Ed become their bodyguard, have Ed and Al teach them alchemy, become State Alchemists themselves, or all of the above! I do _not_ recommend doing all of those in the same story because that's really cliché overload but it's perfectly okay to do a few of them. I admit to writing a story where my OC crosses the gate, has a stone, becomes targeted by the Homunculi, has Ed assigned to bodyguard her, _and_ Ed and Al teach her alchemy. In context it's pretty cliché but I didn't _keep_ it that way. I made those situations as original as possible, putting my own style into it, and that's what authors want to do with fan fiction.

Many of you have learned in English class about the plot graph involving the five important parts of a plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion.

Climax

/... \

Rising action /;... ;\ Falling action

Exposition_-_-_-_-_-_ /;...;...; \_ -_-_-_-_-_Conclusion

To be a good writer you must know the ins and outs of how to build your plot. Exposition is the beginning or introduction to a story. Rising action is when things within the story begin to pick up by bringing in a conflict. The plot's climax or turning point is the moment of greatest emotional intensity, the moment when the outcome of the plot and the fate of the characters are decided. The falling action brings a release of emotional tension and moves things towards the resolution of the conflict or conflicts. Conclusion is a way of wrapping things up, bringing the story back to a stable ground, gives a sense of closure. Many writers put their conclusions as epilogues. These are the five major points of plot but there's also one that falls within the rising action: the crisis.

I'll use FMA as an example. The first few episodes, especially the one that's a flashback showing how Trisha died and how Ed and Al came to be where they are, is the exposition and sets up the story for the rest of the show. The major purpose of the show is that Ed and Al are searching for the Philosopher's Stone but things don't go smoothly of course. The rising action starts when the Homunculi start to pop up, giving the show more conflict and Ed and Al an enemy to fight against. The climax would be(for the first anime) at the end when Ed meets Dante in the underground city, fights her and Envy, and then the brothers sacrificing themselves and yadda, yadda, yadda. The falling action takes place when Al's adjusting back into his body and Ed's adjusting to the new world he lives in. Finally, the movie Conqueror of Shamballa would be the conclusion or epilogue, showing how everything comes…almost nicely to a close.

Now, I bet a lot of you are thinking, "No! The Fifth Laboratory would be the climax!" You probably think this because it's smack dab in the middle of the show and big stuff goes down, oh yeah. But you would be wrong my furry friend. Just because it's in the middle of the show doesn't make it the climax. In fact, most climaxes happen towards the end. The laboratory five part of FMA would be a _crisis_, a part in the story that our heroes must overcome! This one is probably the most noticeable one in FMA. Other's include Tucker making Nina into a chimera, Scar almost killing Ed (pick any of those times), or in Brotherhood when Gluttony ate Ed and Ling. Basically, they are the climaxes of the little subplots in the show. A good story has subplots and crises and I fully encourage them. They are what usually pull the main characters further along through the plot and closer to the climax of the story. So be sure to put a few in your story but don't forget about your major plot!

Also, _don't do things without a reason_. There are quite a few stories where the OC just mysteriously wakes up in Amestris or something along those lines for no apparent reason. This is very unrealistic and loses the reader's interest. If your character starts hearing a mysterious voice in their head, be sure to have a reason behind it and explain how and why that happened later on. You catch my drift? But it's okay to let a good mystery settle, just as long as you have a good explanation later on.

**PLOT TWISTS:**

Plot twists are what keep stories alive. They keep the readers _interested_! You do _not_ want a predictable story. If the reader can accurately guess what happens next in the story and how it ends there's not much point in them continuing the story, right? Right. They'll drop that story in a hot second! To keep that from happening you have to keep your readers guessing. Life is not a smooth road. It's bumpy, has pot holes that give you flat tires, and has it's ups and downs. Add those bumps, pot holes, and ups and downs when the readers least expect it. But remember to give enough space in between the bumps and such. You want to give the readers nice surprises throughout the story but not so much to where they're left confused. That'll leave them broke down on the side of the road for sure.

**CLIFFHANGERS:**

Cliffhangers, in my opinion, are just as important as plot twists. Both of them keep the readers coming back for more. When the chapter ends with things getting more intense or interesting it amps the readers up, makes them want to read more, and will ensure that they come back for more when you update.

Many writers, including myself, couple cliffhangers with plot twists. Basically, having a plot twist at the end of a chapter. It makes things even more exciting and you should try to make a lot of your chapter endings a cliffhanging plot twist. This is a sure way to make readers come back cause they'll want to see what happens next!


	3. Chapter Length-Pace

**Chapter Length / Pace**

**This section will show how to determine the chapter length for a particular story and pacing the story**

**CHAPTER LENGTH:**

Chapter length is a common concern among writers on here. Many have asked me how I get my chapters so long or how they know when their chapters are long enough. The answer is simple: _quality over quantity_. Do not focus on how much you have but how good what you have is. I can read a bland 5,000 word chapter and an exciting 1,000 word chapter and be more interested in the story with exciting small chapters! Just because it's big doesn't mean it's good…all the gutter-minded people just laughed right then. But if you don't believe me when I say that smaller can be better, I'll use my story as an example. One of the smallest chapters in my story was actually the most popular. :D

Anyway, when I say quality I don't just mean how grammatically correct a story is and whatnot (though, it's certainly a part of it). It's also about how much is going on in the story at this point. Say the 5,000 word chapter could be summarized that the characters stole a car. But then, say the 1,000 word chapter could be summarized that the characters stole a car, stormed the fifth laboratory, and kicked Envy's butt all the way to next Tuesday. It's all about how much you put into it. Worry about how much you put into a chapter and you'll find that it'll become longer on it's own. If you've covered all that's _needed_ to be put into a chapter then you'll know it's long enough.

Keeping these thoughts in mind, my chapters average around 3,000-5,000 words. It's a simple method, yet highly effective.

**PACE:**

**Fast and slow:**

Drawing on what I've said above, you don't want to try to cram too much into one chapter. This can lead to confusion for the reader. So you want to pace not only yourself but your chapters as well. Know when to take events fast and slow. I'll list some examples.

Fights: Generally, take them fast. Too much fighting at one time can be a turn off. But don't go so fast that the reader is wondering how the characters got from point A to point D. Be descriptive and always remember your setting.

Romance: Take it slow! I cannot tell you how many times I've read stories where only after three chapters of the characters meeting they're all like, "I love you!" It's so unbelievable that I stop reading that story and go to look for a different one. Give the characters time to fall in love cause love just doesn't happen at first sight. Attraction may, but not love.

If things ever feel rushed to you, then slow them down. If things are boring, speed them up. Really, it's all on you as the writer to decide what circumstance needs a push or a pull. But sometimes your judgment may be biased. Such as, the tenth chapter of your story is one that you've been uber excited for so you just want to hurry up with the ninth one and get it out of the way. Don't let your excitement get in the way of what needs to be said in that ninth chapter.

If you're still having problems with pace, just question yourself if the scene or chapter is believable. If something seems off about it then you should fix it.

**Filler:**

Filler chapters can be good. Think of a story as a road trip from USA's east coast to west coast. You wouldn't drive that whole trip in one go, would you? No, you'd stop along the way, stay at rest stops for awhile or even get a hotel room for the night. You need that rest because the long drive is tiring. That's what filler is: the rest. When you've been driving the story for a good long while, you want to take a rest. It can be fun for the writer and it also relaxes that tension in the readers that's been building and building. And it doesn't even have to be a full chapter, just add some filler every now and then. But two of the best ways to come back from a filler chapter is to either prompt the reader back to full speed slowly, or just throw them in that speeding car! Fillers bring the reader's guard down so they'd be completely unsuspecting of a major plot twist! But it's up to you as the writer to decide when to throw the readers back in head first or to guide them back. Both can be effective but even more so depending on the situation.

Filler chapters can also be a great source of downtime for the characters as well. They can even strengthen relationships during that time. For example, in _The Blood Alchemist_ there is a chapter where it's Valentine's Day. I didn't have to add it but I saw it as a great opportunity for the OC to grow closer to Ed and Al. It was cute and funny, and that's the best kind of filler in my opinion.


	4. Canon-OOC-PoV

**Canon/OOC/PoV**

**This section will discuss when to and when not to keep the characters in character, as well as how to approach point of views.**

**CANON/OOC:**

There are probably about as many people who like canon fics as there are people who like OOC fics. I myself like both depending on the story and the writer. Sometimes I love those stories that I can actually see happening in FMA and sometimes I love the way people can spin the show and its characters around to show something different. It's all about preference but there should be some guidelines for when to use each one because I've seen many canon stories where the characters have OOC moments that just don't fit.

You can see the most OOCness in AU fics, which makes sense because with a different setting and events the characters are likely to be different. But you _have_ to remember what made the character who she or he is! Make sure there's a reason for everything! But many people like to keep canon aspects to their characters and that's highly encouraged even if you are writing an OOC fic.

Generally, if you are writing a canon story you want to keep away from the OOCness. Now, that isn't to say you _can't_ include OOC moments. Sometimes they can add more to the story and are best used to add humor. I will use the following excerpt from _The Blood Alchemist_ as an example. In this scene the main OC, Taylor, is joking with Ed about how she's a misfit from another world.

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He chuckled at that, "That describes you perfectly."

"Well it takes one to know one."

"I guess you're right. But I make misfits look good."

I giggled and stood up straight, "Yes Ed, you are one drop dead sexy misfit."

He perked up at that. Being his usual cocky self he said, "And the ladies just can't get enough of me."

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Obviously, Ed's being a little OOC here because he usually wouldn't say something like that, but it _works_. It's funny and in the right situation can be almost believable. But note that it isn't over the top. You want your OOC moments to be subtle, otherwise you'll lose the realistic-ness of the story.

If you're ever having trouble keeping the characters canon, try to see the situation from their perspective, even if the point of view isn't from them. Ask yourself, what would they do in that particular instance. And if that isn't enough, whip out the manga or re-watch a few episodes of FMA and pay close attention to how the character does things in different circumstances. This will give you a better feel for them.

**POINT OF VIEW:**

Point of view is a critical part to story telling and depending on what you do with it, it has the ability to shape the story one way or another. It's the way the readers see the story and, used correctly, can take a _good _story to a _great_ story.

Point of view is the perspective of a character. When beginning to write you must choose who's perspective to write from. Most people tend to go with their main character, be it a character from FMA or their own OC. But some switch it up and change to other characters' PoV. It's fine to keep the PoV strictly to your main character or you can change it every now and then. But the main character(s) is the one you want to keep the PoV on the most.

When approaching a scene, ask yourself who's PoV would give the most to the scene. Remember that who's ever PoV you choose can shape the opinions of the readers because they are seeing the story through the character's eyes. Once you choose the character for PoV, throw yourself into their mindset. Do not simply ask yourself, "What would I do in their position." I say this because there is a definite line between the author and the character. They are two separate minds that would do different things in varying situations. So ask yourself, "What would _they _do in this situation?" See the world from their eyes, think like them, make their likes and dislikes your own, become that character. When you do that you'll find the writing comes much easier.

**Verb tense:**

Next, you must choose present tense or past tense. That is to say, how will you word your verbs. I'll use examples.

Present Tense: I _watch _as my dog _runs _around the yard. While I _gaze _blankly, I _wonder _what _will _be for dinner tonight.

Past Tense: I _watched _as my dog _ran_ around the yard. While I _gazed_ blankly, I _wondered _what _would _be for dinner tonight.

I personally prefer past tense but that's just me. Choose whichever one you want, but it is important to _stay_ in that tense. I've seen before where writers have accidentally slipped into a different tense and I myself am guilty of that from time to time and it can make sentences awkward. Choose one and stick with it. The only exception would be special situations where you want to emphasize a difference, like a flashback. If you ever choose, for example, present tense but find you keep slipping into past tense, try to read some stories that are in present tense. It'll help you to start thinking in that mindset and is great when you want to switch verb tenses when going to write on a different story.

There is also a future tense but it is rarely used. When used, it gives a feeling that the narrator uncannily knows what will happen next. It is usually used towards the end of chapters or scenes, ending it with a sentence like: _Little did I know that tomorrow would be the day that I died. _For times such as these it's okay to switch into this tense.

**Narrative:**

The last choice for PoV you must make is what narrative to write your story in. There is first-person, second-person, and third-person view. First-person is when you use "I" to identify the character whose PoV it is in. This is best used for your main character. If you change the PoV to a different character it is best to switch to third-person, where the pronouns identifying the character is "he/she" or their name. This will single out your first-person character even more as the main character. I recommend using third-person for the FMA characters, whether they are the main character or not, because first-person can be hard to pull off in the realistic department when it comes to canon characters. The last narrative, second-person, is hardly used. It is when the character is addressing the audience or reader as "you". This is best used in a letter-type story, such as Ed writing letters to Winry. (or a writer's guide *cough, cough*)

There are more specific narratives branching off from third-person. I've described the first one, which is termed third-person limited for being limited to only one character's PoV. Another one is called third-person omniscient. Basically, this is when the PoV is third-person but for everyone at the same time, letting the reader see everyone's thoughts about things. Using this mode of narrative can be helpful when you can't decide who's PoV to go with. If this mode brings more to the story then by all means use it, but I find it more difficult than the others. It's easier to focus in on the thoughts of one target than everyone's, at least for me it is. The last is third-person subjective where the narrator gives no one's thoughts, leaving the narrator unbiased. I don't think I've ever seen anyone on here use this though, but if you want to try it I advise using a lot of details that suggest what the characters are thinking rather than pointing it out. For example: She fidgeted with her skirt while frowning. It's a factual sentence but it obviously tells that the woman is upset or nervous.

**Style:**

Every character has their own style. When I say style I do not mean their fashion choices. No, I mean the style the writer uses when they are writing for a particular character. And I don't just mean the way they speak. It's also the way they think as well.

For example, take a story where Mustang is the main character. Sentences would be more formal and calculating, much different than how you would write Ed, just as writing Al's PoV would be different from either of them. Know your characters and through each ones' varying tones you can learn the style to use when writing them.

Style is very important to keep in mind if you're writing a story where the PoV switches between characters. The way you write must reflect each one's personality, so when writing Ed's part you must change the way you write from how you were writing Al's part before. There should be a noticeable difference is what I'm trying to say. Try to think like them and let their thoughts flow through you.

The last bit of advice I have for point of view is this: When switching the PoV to other characters keep in mind the events that have happened to that character. So many times I have went to write in where a character says or thinks something and I have to facpalm and tell myself, "No, he doesn't know that yet. That's what so and so is doing, not him." When using alternating PoV it's easy to get mixed up sometimes so just be wary while writing and keep your facts straight.


	5. OC-Mary Sues

**OC/Mary-Sues**

**This section will discuss how to make a good OC and how to avoid the dreaded Mary-Sue**

**OC:**

Before adding an OC to a story you must define to yourself who the OC is. Imagine the character as an actual person, or even base it off of a person you know. Know exactly what they look like, what they're usual moods are, their likes and dislikes. Are they funny, sarcastic, rude, bubbly, lazy, annoying, charming, curious, down-to-earth, head-in-the-clouds, creative, or kind? Pinpoint the character's characteristics so you can know them inside and out. This will help you to show their personality when you actually write them.

Generally you want to make OCs original but not so different to where readers can't relate to them. Having a relatable character will draw readers more fully into the story. To make them relatable, maybe add one quality of yourself to the character, without actually having the character being you. An example of this would be my story _Forsaken_ where one of my OCs clearly states many times how she hates pointless things, just like I do. Or, as I've said before, base the character off of someone you know. In my story, _The Blood Alchemist_, my main OC is my best friend in real life. That is why I think the story is so well written because the OC was an actual person and I could go ask my friend what she would do in certain situations. It helped immensely, so it's always a good idea to give an OC qualities of someone you already know.

Once you have a good idea of your OC, you must figure out how to incorporate them into the FMA world. For a main character OC, I recommend opening the story giving a little insight into their lives, but not too much! You want to give the readers an idea of who this person is but if you draw it out too long the readers will lose interest because they are looking to see how your OC fits into the FMA world. So give that little bit of insight and then go on with the story and into FMA. After so many chapters you can introduce more details of what the OC's life was like (I especially suggest that you do this when any of the FMA characters are trying to get to know the OC because both the FMA characters and the readers will get to learn more about the OC). Why do I say to put off telling of the OC's life? Because when it does finally come around that the OC opens up more about themselves, the readers will be more invested in the story and the OC and will _want_ to know more about what made the OC who she or he is.

**How many is too many?**

Most writers for OC fics write a story revolving around one OC but there are plenty who insert more than one. For instance, two fan girls going into the world of FMA; there are two OCs there. But I've seen where writers have taken it further and inserted three or four major OCs at a time. I don't recommend that. It overloads the readers a bit too much, getting all of this information about these new people and trying to figure all of them out. What is best on both the writer and the reader is to focus on one or two main OCs in the beginning and later on in the story, after the readers have become attached to the main OC(s) then you can bring in more. If it's necessary to have more than two OCs, especially at the beginning, make them minor characters. Just focus on building a firm relationship between the reader and the main OC(s).

**MARY-SUE:**

They're beautiful! They can't do anything wrong! They're clichéd as all get out! They're terrifying in their perfection! Ladies and gentlemen, it's the dreaded Mary-Sues! Run for your lives!

Obviously, one of a writer's biggest fears is their OC becoming Mary-Sue. Why do they fear them? Because they're predictable, become boring very quickly, and induce the desire to go bang your head on a wall. Some writers succeed in making interesting unique characters, but there are a _ton_ of OCs I've seen who might as well throw in the originality towel and just go join the Mary-Sue Brigade. I'm sure everyone wants to know how to avoid making their characters Mary-Sue but before they can do that they must have a good understanding of what makes a character Mary-Sue.

**Types of Sues:**

**Einstein Sue:** Knowledgeable in all subjects, perfect at their jobs, and come up with the best solutions.

**Copycat Sue:** An OC that has canon characters' qualities. For example, a girl who has long blonde hair, gold eyes, two automail limbs, is a prodigy at alchemy, and has a temper, just like Edward.

**Jerk Sue: **They have short tempers and usually use their fists to solve problems. They love to fight, are good at fights, and are just plain feisty. Can come off as rude or jerks sometimes.

**Angsty Sue: **Angst follows them everywhere and they are often seen crying. They have horrible home lives, either having abusive parents or saw someone close to them die. Many of them are or become depressed and/or suicidal.

**Relationship Sue: **They act as the story's Cupid. Somehow, someway, they are going to get those totally-in-love-but-are-too-afraid-to-act-on-it couples together. They will throw out romantic advice all the time, even if you don't want it.

**Villain Sue: **Incredibly powerful villains that are impossible to defeat. Most of the time they are defeated by seeing the error of their ways, having a change of heart, and joining the good side.

**Goddess Sue:** Known for having 'godly' abilities. Are extremely powerful, as well as undefeatable. Not the kind of Sue you want to mess with.

**Lemon Sue or Silicone Sue: **Flawlessly beautiful, everyone wants them, and/or they can easily seduce others. Usually have multiple love interests.

**Useless Sue:** By all rights they should be the opposite of Mary-Sues. They fail at practically everything they try, however, everyone still seems to love them.

**Saintly Sue:** They are the epitome of goodness. Armed with their deep compassion and the naivety that everyone has good in them, they will win over everyone, including their enemies. They abhor fighting and usually spend their time saving cats from trees or helping old ladies cross streets.

**Offspring Sue: **These are most commonly seen in stories featuring FMA characters' children. They either retain qualities of their parents or seek to re-enact their parents lives.

**Hybrid Sue: **Despite being part animal or mythical creature, they are somehow still beautiful. Rather than detract from their beauty, their hybrid features enhance it.

**Bitchy Sue: **Is a bitch to everyone except to whom they're infatuated with and sometimes even to them.

**Gothy Sue: **Highly noted for their love of black wardrobes, these Sues are dark and negative about everything. They lack the ability to express emotion, causing everyone around them to lose any hope of understanding them.

There are probably more types but these are the major ones and the ones most commonly seen. When used in the FMA world writers will make their OCs gorgeous, smart, great fighters that the FMA characters immediately love. Most times the OCs will be amazingly powerful at alchemy or will be perfect at alchemy their first try. There's a lot of them who are State Alchemist chimeras, or essentially rip-offs of the canon characters, or have some deep, dark past usually filled with abuse and gore. I could go on and on but I'll skip straight to the point: _how to avoid Mary-Sues_. Now, I've already stated before that to make a good OC you need to make them realistic. The same thing goes for keeping the OC from becoming Mary-Sue. A Mary-Sue is the farthest thing from realistic so strive to make your OC _human_.

Now, there's a difference between an OC with Mary-Sue qualities and a Mary-Sue. In my story _TBA, _my main OC has a bunch of Mary-Sue qualities, but what keeps her from crossing over the line into Suesville is that I kept her realistic. So, even though she had a Philosopher's Stone and picked up alchemy quickly she was still human. A human who made mistakes, cried when overwhelmed, fought through hard times, tried to help others when possible but wasn't always happy with the other characters. It's alright to give your OCs a Sue quality or two because, just like with cliché plots, they're popular for a reason. Sometimes the character is experienced with fighting, sometimes their home life wasn't ideal and even horrible, sometimes they're really good at performing difficult tasks. The bottom line is not to go overboard with things and, more than focusing on how to not make your character Mary-Sue, put all your efforts into making your OC an actual person. People aren't perfect so characters shouldn't be either.


	6. Genres

**Genres**

**This section will discuss types of genres and tips for writing each one**

**GENRES:**

"Oh no, Mary! This is terrible!"

"What is it, Sue?"

"I'm trying to post a new fic."

"…what's the problem then?"

"I don't know what genre to put it under!"

Haha, yes I know, very original names for these two gals. So has anyone ever felt like Sue before when going to post a new story? I certainly have. I'll go to post something and just sit there for the longest time trying to think of which genre my story would fall under. If you've ever had to stop and seriously debate on what your story's genre is, chances are that your story holds many genres. For writing long stories or multi-chapter fics this is a good thing. For one-shots, not so much.

Fanfiction is limited to only two genres that you can place a story under, but that does not automatically mean that the story _only_ fits under those two categories. Some writers may focus on a main genre or two but they are certainly not limited to it. What makes a really great story is to hit most of the genres throughout the story. Why? Because it makes the story more complex, will take it further, and will draw in readers that favor each particular genre. So even if you want to write a story that focuses on action, it's good to get some humor, friendship, angst and whatnot at least on the side. It makes the story have more variety and saves things from becoming boring for the reader.

That's not to say that you _have_ to include every genre known to man and a few known to squirrels. In fact, I'd drive myself crazy if I even tried. And there are just some genres that have no place in some stories. For example, if you're trying to write a story where an OC joins the Elrics for the FMA ride you wouldn't necessarily go into the western genre or fantasy genre (assuming you have no intention of including frolicking fairies and whatnot). Just know your range in your plot and where you can go with it. If you can go there, I implore you to explore. Even if you're not good with particular genres, if it can add to the story try it out. If you always stay in your comfort zone as a writer then you'll never progress. Plus, practice makes perfect so practice writing in each genre once and awhile.

While including many genres in one story can be an excellent thing to do, you should go about it carefully. You don't want to suddenly switch from horror to humor. Know what you're dealing with and how to slide into and out of different genres. A sign of a great writer is their ability to effortlessly transition from one genre to another. A good way to do this is to put a little space in between genre parts or a word cushion, so to speak. If you transition too fast it can lead to becoming unrealistic. Now, sometimes things happen in the blink of an eye and it will be your job as the story's writer to judge how to take those moments. A lot of writing is circumstantial and, for a general guide like this one, my tips may not suffice.

Now, remember a few paragraphs back when I said one-shots may not be the best place to put a lot of genres? It is because one-shots are typically 1,000 words or shorter and cannot fit a lot of genres in them. They are written to show one particular thing that usually falls under one or two particular genres. Confused? I'll use an example. A one-shot of Mustang asking Hawkeye out on a date that's under the genres of romance and humor. The reader probably would know just by reading the summary what the genres are. What you want to do is focus on the summary/theme of your story and you'll find that the genres are there and holding strong.

If you find that you truly can't place a genre for your story you can always place it in the 'general' category. Sometimes this is good if you want to surprise the reader. If you want to go this route I recommend having a strong summary. Or if you want the readers to know that your fic isn't limited to the two genres its categorized under you can use the summary to your advantage and say at the end of it, "Filled with action, humor, romance, etc." to show the readers that your story has more variety.

**Types of genres:**

I have not written under all of the genres, although I have read many that I haven't written for, but there are still some that I have no experience with at all. However, I will try to give my best advice for each genre.

** Action/Adventure:** This site has no real 'action' category so I tend to couple it with adventure. If the fic is adventure based it usually has action in it anyway, something that I recommend though it doesn't have to be. For action, it doesn't have to be limited to fighting. It could be in the form of explosions, collapsing buildings, sweeping rivers, you name it. _Use the setting_ _to your advantage!_ You can even pair it with fights. A fight with Ed against a homunculus is much more exciting in a collapsing, exploding building than in a calm street. Action is to excite the readers. Just be sure to be precise in explaining it because being vague can leave readers confused. It's like what I said in an earlier chapter, you don't want the readers wondering how things got from point A to point D. And even if you don't use the setting to your advantage, keep the setting in mind. I can't stress enough how important setting is.

Now, I've said before how fights shouldn't be so long that you bore the readers with a drawn out fighting sequence. The key to writing great fights is description. Don't use words like 'hit' or 'kick' excessively. A sentence like this: _He hit me and then kicked me_, pales in comparison to a sentence like this: _His fist collided into my stomach and then he spun on one heel, snapped his leg up, and his other foot connected painfully with my jaw. _Since the reader can't _see_ what's happening, _show_ them what's happening. If you can't think of different words to use other than 'hit' or 'kick' whip out a thesaurus. The thesaurus and dictionary are a writer's best friend.

If you find yourself struggling too much with a fight scene you can use a time lapse. This is best used at the ending of chapters and then beginning the new chapter at a later point in the battle. Of course, you won't always be able to do this so I recommend switching PoV. For instance, set the event up of Envy and Ed about to fight and when it begins switch to a different PoV for awhile. You can go from Ed to Envy and it be a later point in the battle or you can stray away from the action for a moment by going to a completely different person like Al off in another location. This will give the illusion of time passing when you come back to the fight and it's a great way to tease the readers and have them wanting to read more. But if you use this method be sure to have a reason to switching to that third-party and make that scene relevant to the storyline.

** Humor:** Everyone loves a good laugh, right? Well, they should anyway. Humor is a great way to draw the reader in. I myself am more prone to read a story if I find it funny. For light-hearted fics humor is a must. For more serious stories though there is understandably less room for humor, but I highly encourage sprinkling in some comedy in a serious fic now and then. If the story is completely serious all the time you can wear the reader down in its intensity. Throw in some humor now and then to relax the readers and it will affect them even more when you throw in the next serious event because their guard is down.

A helpful tip in writing comedy is to hit it hard. Don't beat around the bush with over describing things. Show the readers the situation and then hit them with the punch lines. Usually, a writer's pride would be their ability to describe things but when it comes to comedy less is more. This applies especially to dialogues. If the humor lies in the conversation focus more on what they're saying rather than description. This is even more so for a two-person dialogue where you don't always have to say who the speaker is because the talking goes back and forth. I'll use and example from _The Blood Alchemist_. In this scene the OC, Taylor, is in the hospital recovering and asks Ed for a hug.

* * *

Then he chuckled, "Okay, but if you bite me all bets are off."

I snorted, "I'm not gonna bite you."

"That didn't stop you before."

"When did I bite you?"

"When you were loopy from the pain medicine."

"Oh. But why would I bite you?"

"You seemed to be under the impression that I was bacon. You thought Mustang was eggs."

"Please tell me I didn't bite him too."

"No, he left too soon for that. I think you freaked him out."

"Jeez, what else did I do?"

"Well, there was that time you kept trying to take off your clothes."

My face reddened in mortification, "Oh, God. Please tell me you're joking."

"Nope."

"Did I do anything worse than that?"

"Well I'm not sure if trying to take off _my _clothes is worse than that."

"Oh, God. Did I really…?"

"Yes. Yes you did."

"I am so sorry…I'm gonna kill that doctor."

* * *

See what I mean? This is a very useful tactic but there are other ways to include humor. Find what you're good at and expand from there. Remember, to progress as a writer means stepping out of your comfort zone occasionally, take risks, and if you succeed you grow and if you fail you still grow because you've learned from it. This is true for writing any genre or just writing in general.

** Romance:** I've said this before and I'll say it again: _take it slow!_ Love does not happen in five chapters or less. Attraction maybe, but not love.

Now, for any story, no matter the main genre(s), it is good to have a pairing or pairings. Why? Because, just like laughs everyone likes a good pairing, right? Well, I do anyway and if you look on the FMA homepage all you see is stories with pairings so my statement does have some merit. As a fanfiction reader the first thing I always look for is if there's a pairing and I bet I'm not the only one. So by adding pairings you are essentially drawing in more readers. Romance has the ability to bring multiple other genres into the story: humor, drama, hurt/comfort, angst, you name it. This is another good idea on why you should add a little romance to the mix, because it can give you more to work with. So, even if you suck at writing romance try to write it anyway. Besides, you'll never get any better at it if you just avoid the genre.

When starting out the romance focus a bit more on them as becoming better friends than as a pairing. Later on bring in the subtle changes: how the characters react or think towards one another or just how they're thinking more about the other lately. A cliché that you should tread lightly on is both characters falling for each other at the same time. I say 'tread lightly' because this can be circumstantial but most people don't fall for each other at the same time. It can take a while for someone's feelings to change and for them to accept them while others are more adaptable. Also, unreciprocated love is common and can bring some angst to a story.

I don't recommend focusing solely on the romance, even if the story is under that genre. There should be a good storyline going on and the romance should happen in the midst of that, a spark every now and then to keep the romance readers interested. But keep in mind when you're gonna finally bring your two intended characters together. I don't know about other readers but I myself have read romance stories and as soon as the two I was banking on get together I think, "Okay! They're together! Now I'll go find something else to read." To avoid that try to lengthen it as much as possible without it being a bunch of filler. For this, use the plot to your advantage. Remember, the best part of romance can be the sweet time when the characters are in the process of falling.

A great tip for writing romance is description (kind of like the opposite of how you would write humor). Romance is built on feeling. As readers, we can't actually _feel_ what the characters are feeling so as a writer you must _show_ them. Try using metaphors, similes, personification, and the like. If you can't seem to do this right, try finding a fic with a good romance scene and study the way the writer describes the emotions, thoughts, and actions.

**Angst/Drama and Hurt/Comfort: **It's good to have them in most fics to stir up some conflict. Seeing as how these are serious genres don't comprise your entire story of it. Balance it with a little humor or something else lighthearted once and a while. Vice versa for the lighthearted fics as well; they could use a little angst/drama. One of the best things you could do with an angsty/dramatic fic is shower it with some good old **hurt/comfort**. Just as some good angst/drama can make readers tear up, having some well written hurt/comfort afterwards can make them cry, especially if you add a bit of romance to it.

** Friendship/Family:** A must in any fic I think. Having a good friend or a family member to work off of makes the story more dynamic. And even if the main character, for whatever reason, starts out with no friends or family, they should gain some friends along the way.

**Fantasy/Supernatural:** In regards to FMA this genre is typically AU. There's so much you could do with them but pick what direction you want to go in and stick with it. Know the limits of the fantasy or supernatural world you create. I'll use FMA as an example. The show can be described a little bit as fantasy because of the alchemy aspect and monsters (Homunculi/chimera). But in FMA there are limits to what could happen in the show. You'd never see Ed riding around on a dragon. No. There were reasons for everything. So know the boundaries to your own story.

**Horror: **Horror is great when you want to leave the readers shocked and give your characters a major shake up. When dealing with FMA it's almost expected anyway. Think of when Ed and Al found out Nina was turned into a chimera. That's one of the most noticeable horror moments in my opinion, especially when Scar blew her up and Ed and Al found her remains splattered on the alley wall. You don't have to add horror to a story at all but if you want some big angst you might want to consider putting in a horrific scene. For those types of scenes, just like in romance or action, _show_ the reader what the character is experiencing. Note how their emotions affect their body, how her fear made her stomach drop and her airways constrict in preparation for a scream…

**Mystery/Crime/Suspense:** For this category, I'm going to view the aspect of the villain for crime. The best sort of villain is the one with emotions and reasons. That way, the readers are able to connect with them more easily, even if they're bad guys. Take the Homunculi for example. They're supposed to be soulless and yet how many people wanted to cry for Greed when he died? Or felt bad for Envy in the first series because he had all of this pent up emotion about Hohenheim or at the very least understood his reasons for hating Ed and Al? That's what I'm talking about. Give the villains some human emotions so that it'll give them a sense of tragedy. And I want to emphasize on the fact that the villain needs a reason for their actions. Scar's was revenge for his people. The Homunculi's was for their want to become human in the first series. Father's was to become all-powerful. Kimblee's was for the love of blowing people up. Know your villains just as much as your good guys.

A great way to do add some mystery is through suspense. Keep the readers in suspense sometimes, leave the mystery of why, what, who, or how unanswered for awhile. This will enthrall the readers and make them continue reading to figure out the little mystery that's going on. But do eventually answer the mystery. Suspense may keep the readers coming back for more but that's because they want the mystery solved by the end of the story.

**Parody:** There's not much to be said for this one. Usually this is paired with humor and the stories are crack fics. The writer has complete dominance over everything and nothing can be questioned because usually everything is questionable, so everything that happens is just accepted for what it is. The only place you can go wrong is with grammar/spelling. If you have that good then everything is A-okay!

**Tragedy: **If you play your cards right this genre could elicit the most emotion from the readers. Tragedy is most often paired with romance and death. There is nothing more tragic than the idea of what could have been between two characters in love, especially when the wall between them is death. For tragic romances I recommend building up a beautiful, unshakable romance between the two characters, have the readers fall in love with the pairing, and then snatch it away by death. Death is unbeatable, making the separation between the two something that will never, ever, be able to be fixed and making it all the more tragic.

Now, that isn't to say that the tragedy has to be paired with romance, it's just one of the most powerful tragedies. You can make a tragedy about anything really, but what makes a tragedy a tragedy is how strongly you can win over the audience. Take when Hughes died for instance (more of in the first anime than Brotherhood, or in the manga if you prefer). For the first season he was such a great honorable man, a wonderful father and husband, and caring friend to all. His death wouldn't have been so tragic if he wasn't able to win over the audience like he could. What I'm saying is that you have to make the readers fall so in love with something that they're deeply emotionally affected when it's gone.

Death is a great way to go about a tragedy but it could also be something like at the end of the first FMA, when Ed and Al were separated by worlds. There's many ways you can go about it and it doesn't have to be on such large a scale but as long as you give the readers something to love, then snatch it away, you're golden.

Oh, and seeing how tragedy is such a serious genre it's safe to say you want to stay away from the humor when you get to the really tragic bits.

**Spiritual: **You could take this as more of the religious variety, and in a way, it is. Religion is the belief in something, and sometimes those beliefs change and sometimes they are only strengthened. The spiritual genre is the same way. It's about knowing one's self, knowing what they belief in or finding something worth believing. In stories, this is usually when characters are confronted about their beliefs, have them tested, either come to believe something else or their original beliefs wan or are reaffirmed. It's more about internal conflict and how they shape a characters' personality and actions. Most stories have spiritual moments, even if the writer doesn't know it.

Adding this genre in the mix of a story can bring a great source of conflict, mostly about man versus himself. I highly recommend it because everyone questions themselves at some point, wonder if the path they're going down is the right one, and sometimes wonder if everything they believed in has been a lie or truth. It's good to put your characters to a test and see if they stick to their beliefs or not, and grow as a person or not.

**Western:** I kid you not, there are only about 10 stories in the FMA category on Fanfiction that are listed under western. Needless to say, it's not popular, nor do I have any experience in the matter, but if you want to go this way I suggest watching a western movie. Anything for FMA that's under the western genre would understandably be AU.

(^_^)

As I've said before, setting is very important, and is able to shape different genres and affect moods. Mood and setting are key points when it comes to writing different genres. They will be discussed further in the next chapter.


	7. Mood-Setting

**Mood/Setting**

**This chapter will discuss how to set moods and the importance of setting**

**MOOD:**

"I'VE BEEN REALLY TRYIIIING, BABY! TRYING TO HOLD BACK THIS FEELING, FOR SOOOO LONG!"

Now imagine Ed singing that to Winry. Haha! Anyway, I have a point to this. Everyone's seen cheesy romance scenes in movies where songs like this one come on. They're trying to 'get in the mood'. This phrase can be expanded to all types of moods, not just romance. For different types of scenes you want to not only set the mood within the story, you as the writer should put yourself in that mood. The best way to do that just so happens to be music.

When the urge to write on your story happens you might not always be in the correct state of mood for that particular scene. For instance, you could be having the best day of your life, feeling giggly and chipper, and then you go to write a dark scene where Al dies (though, I'm not sure what kind of sick, twisted person would want to kill sweet, innocent Alphonse). Whatever mood you're in will be reflected in the scenes you write, so if you're not careful, that death scene could come out a bit too optimistic. Regardless of what you're about to go write on, you need to push away your present mindset and jump into the feelings of the characters and the mood of the scene, but sometimes that's not easy. Music will help you get into that mood without you having to go kill your sibling just to know how Ed is feeling like.

You should have various types of songs at your disposal. That way, when there's an epic battle scene you could listen to a song with a fast beat to get you fired up. Or if it's a funny part of the story, put a song on that makes you laugh. Music is a great link to a person's emotions and can evoke the right mood at the right time. That's why movies wouldn't be as great without music. Even when you're not paying attention to the music you're still hearing it and it's influencing your emotions, and the same goes for writing with music on.

Music is a great way to set your own mood but what about the mood in the story? It's not like the readers can hear the music you're listening to. To remedy that, you must use the characters and setting. To do this with characters, describe their body language. For example: _She gritted her teeth, her shoulders trembling as she stood there with fisted hands._ It's very easy to tell what her mood is, that this girl is obviously holding back some strong anger or sorrow. Describing body language is very important when showing the readers a characters mood. Don't rely only on the character telling their feelings, even in thoughts, such as: _I felt anger like I had never felt before._ As my journalism professor says, _show_ the readers, don't just tell them. Also, try to couple expressive words with actions. Don't just say, _He nodded_. Say, _He nodded slowly as if unsure of himself._ That shows a whole lot more to even the simplest of actions. You don't have to do this with every single action but it's a good technique to keep in mind.

**SETTING:**

As I've said before, setting is very important. It has the ability to bring so much to the table, even help you set moods. Take any moment from FMA when someone was crying and it's raining, for example. People associate rain and gloomy clouds with sad scenes. Am I saying that you have to make it rain every time someone cries? No. I'm just saying that you can use the setting like this to emphasis the mood of the scene. If it's a happy scene, it could be a warm sunny day. If it's a horror scene, it could be at night in a dirty, rundown house with shadows galore. A mystery scene? Bring in the fog! Romance? Candle light, roses, and oooh la la! Things like that! Keep in mind though that the setting can also affect a character's mood as well, such as Ed being in a bad mood but feels more optimistic once he enters a cozy library. In cases where a character's mood totally contradicts the mood of the setting, such as a cheerful Al on a rainy day, that's irony and could be a great source of humor.

As for writing setting, here's what you need to know. When the characters enter a new area, whether they've been there before or not, if the readers have never seen this place then the setting should be described to them. For example, if Ed walks into Mustang's office for the first time in a story, of course, he's been there, but the readers have yet to read him in this place. So when he enters the room try to explain how everything looks as soon as possible so that the readers can create the place within their mind. But do try to write it subtly. By that I mean approach the subject within Ed's mind in a believable way for his reason for thinking about the scenery. You could simply have him scan the room and think about the same old leather couches, large oak desk to suit it's egotistical owner, and large windows looking out on to the front gates where Ed would have rather been. After the initial description of the setting you wouldn't want to repeat describing it later in the scene. So give the reader subtle reminders, like Ed feeling the warmth of the sun through the windows that contrasted greatly with Mustang's cold temper as their argument reached a stalemate. Building and reinforcing the setting is a way to transport the reader there.

Temporal setting regards time. Along with the weather and environment the characters are in, you want to tell the readers what time it is. You don't always have to say, _It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon_. Instead, you could work it in more seamlessly by saying, _The early afternoon sunlight shone across the fields of Resembool, blistering in its heat_. When a significant amount of time has passed, tell the readers again what time it is by saying something like, _The moon had just begun to rise when I stepped outside. _Or you could say something about the stars or the chilly December night air. Many descriptions can work to show the time so keep in mind that you're not limited to telling specific times.

A final tip would be to use the five senses. Tell the reader what the character sees, what they hear, what they smell, what they taste, how things feel. _Dust covered the aging wood walls and broken furniture. The broken windows let in a chilly breeze that crept up my spine in unpleasant tingles. The scent of something rotten filled my nostrils, nearly making me gag because it was so strong I could almost taste it. All was silent, save for my labored breathing. _These descriptions appeal to the senses and gives shape to the setting. If you ever have trouble writing a setting or find it lacking something go over the senses.


	8. Summaries

**Summaries**

**This section will give tips on how to write good summaries and how to avoid bad ones**

Stories are like lighthouses, the summaries are their beacon of light, and the readers are the shipwrecked drifters in the ocean. If the beacon of light is dim those drifters aren't going to notice the lighthouse. Your story may have an amazing plot. Your story may have awesome OCs and amazingly canon characters. It may be so freaking brilliant, original, and worded beautifully. But that's not going to do you a lick of good if you don't have an eye-catching summary. The entire reason a reader starts reading a story in the first place is because they found something interesting within the summary. So think long and carefully about the summary you write, it could make or break you. Here are some tips for making that beacon of light a litter brighter.

**THINGS TO AVOID:**

**I Suck At Summaries: **Okay, I'm going to say this once… _**NEVER EVER WRITE ANY VARIATION OF THE WORDS "I SUCK AT SUMMARIES"!**_ For one, it shows a lack of confidence in your writing. Believe in your writing, even if it is only a summary. Secondly, you're basically telling people that you suck as a writer. Surely if you can't write a decent summary then you can't even write a good story, right? That's what potential readers are going to think anyway. They will skim right over your story and look for something else to read. Thirdly, your summary might not even suck! Believe me, I've seen dozens upon dozens of story summaries that have said something along the lines of "I suck at summaries" and some of them were actually okay or good even. Bottom line is, avoid this phrase at all cost! If you read this chapter and still put "I suck at summaries" in your summary, I will beat you with a fish!

**Bad ****Grammar/Spelling: **There is no excuse in having a summary with grammar/spelling excuses. Before you post that story, make absolutely positive that your summary is mistake free. Have someone look it over before you post it if you have any doubts. Even if you're not prone to mistakes, one mistake in the summary could cost you potential readers. They might view you as a poor writer and move on to different stories.

**Mysterious Past: **Avoid putting phrases such as "mysterious past" or "dark secrets". It's incredibly cliché. It's almost as bad as "I suck at summaries" and they generally induce major eye rolling. You could write so many different things other than that. I'll use an example summary: "LeFay always dreamed of becoming a State Alchemist. When she meets the Elric brothers and they agree to help train her, she finally thinks this is her chance. But what would happen if they found out about her dark secret?" Yeah, the 'dark secret' thing just kills it for me, and probably for others too. Instead of saying 'dark secret' give a little vague hint of what that secret might be, like if she has psychic abilities, say: "However, her uncanny ability to see the future might complicate things." This shows a little more of what the story will be about, gives it a more unique edge to differ from the rest, and is just plain more interesting.

**Author's Note Versus Summary: **Leave out unnecessary things such as "My first fic!" Leave that for author's notes inside if you want. The summary section is for describing your story, not saying things like, "I thought of this story while watching episode 13 and thought…" Again, that's more of an author's note. If you really want to tell readers this in the summary you could simply say, "Based off of episode 13". Know the difference between a summary and an author's note.

Something else that belongs in an author's note rather than the summary is "Read and review!". That should be reserved for the ending author's notes at the bottom of the chapters.

** Chapter is up!: **I've seen stories on here that, after a new chapter is updated, the author will include in the summary "Chapter 13 is up!". It's not necessary. There's a category that lists how many chapters there are. People can see that chapter 13 is up by looking at the category. And for the regular readers of the story they will usually have the story on their alert list anyway, so they will be notified as soon as you update.

**Ratings K-M: **Fanfiction includes a category for ratings. Listing the rating in the summary for stories rated K through M is unnecessary. MA or NC-17 stories however are not an option within the category. These higher ratings would be good to include in the summary because there is no other place to warn the readers. If the story is MA or NC-17 go ahead and list it as M but include in the summary the higher rating. Regardless of what you rate your story avoid saying things like, "Rated M to be safe" or "Rated T for Ed's potty mouth". For the former either state why it's rated M (explicit scenes of violence or sexual content, etc.) or don't say anything at all, and for the latter you can simply say "Language". It'll give it a more professional feel.

**Read at your own risk: **Lots of authors will, after they've listed something like "Contains rape" or "Contains yaoi" will put "Read at your own risk!". It's not needed. You've listed the warnings. Either they'll read it or they won't. Anymore warnings than the first is unnecessary.

**Complete: **Many authors, once they finish a story, will put the word 'Complete' in their summary. It's eye-catching, but not necessary. If the story is complete then you should have already changed the status from 'In-Progress' to 'Complete'. Therefore, the story will already be listed as 'Complete' and readers can even use the filter to search for solely 'Complete' stories.

**THINGS TO DO:**

** Unique Edge: **A summary tells the main plot of the story. When writing a summary you want to tell readers what's basically going on, but you also want to tell them an interesting twist that makes it unique from other stories. If your story is about a real-world OC going into FMA, put that in the summary but also put in what makes this different from the rest. People don't want to see the same thing done again. When it comes to fanfiction, people want to see you take something and make it better, different, have a new spin on it. So put in that summary about the real-world OC going into FMA but tell them also about that twist you're gonna put in it, that your OC will only be a ghost (or something else unique). Whatever your story is about, just make sure to point out what gives your story a unique edge.

**Excerpt: **If you have a good yet small part of your story that you can use in the summary, that also explains some of what your story is about, then use an excerpt from one of the chapters in your story. I'll use my summary for my fic _The Blood Alchemist_ for example:

"A game?" I sputtered. "This isn't a game! These are people's lives you're toying with! My life you're toying with! You can't do that!" "Oh, but I can," came Truth's chilling reply. -When a girl from our world finds a Philosopher's Stone action, drama, lots of humor, and a bit of romance ensue.- EdXOC

The excerpt I used was small enough, yet insightful enough to be used in the summary. Some excerpts are strong enough to stand alone but this one was not. So I paired it with the briefest of summary while also including some of the major genres that the story touches on. But notice that I set a hyphen between it and the excerpt. If you do like I did, be sure to separate the summary and excerpt somehow, whether it be hyphen, parenthesis, etc.

**Pairings: **Many readers are looking for specific pairings when they are looking for stories. At the end or beginning of your summary is a good place to list the pairing(s). The pairs are usually coupled together by X or /, such as: EdXWinry, Ed/Winry. When left like this it usually symbolizes a romantic pairing but you can specify if it is just a friendship, brotherly, or parental: Friendship!EdXWinry, Brotherly!EdXAl, Parental!Roy/Ed. Just remember to tell what type of pairing it is if it isn't romantic. Know that you can do the same with OCs: AlXOC. When it comes to OCs where you want to keep the paring a surprise then I suggest you use 'character' like this: characterXOC.

**State What It Is: **At the end of the summary, along with pairings, you can state what your fic is: AU, OOC, Canon, Yaoi, Yuri, Lemon, Songfic, One-shot, Crackfic, etc. Many readers look for AU, yaoi, or whatnot specifically so it's a good idea to state what it is. Plus, not everyone is a fan of AU, yaoi, OOC, etc so it can also act like a warning. Also, you might want to state if the fic contains torture, rape, etc. Some people are into that but not everyone.

**Spoilers: **Technically, spoiler warnings aren't necessary but you can do them if you want. If a reader is reading fanfiction before they finish the show/manga, they run the risk of spoiling the series for themselves.

**Sequels: **If you have a series of stories be sure to point out the order the stories go in. In the summary, say if it's the sequel to Blahbedidooda. Either be straightforward and put "Sequel to Blahbedidooda." Or work it in with the summary part like "The fates of many are at stake in the sequel to Blahbedidooda".

**Hiatus: **If you know you're not going to be writing on a story for a long time then you might want to state in the summary that you are on a hiatus. That way you won't keep the readers hoping for an update that will never come. And remember, hiatus implies that you are coming back to finish the fic. If you're not planning to finish the story then don't say the story is on hiatus. If you don't plan to ever finish the story then say so; an author's note on the last chapter might be the best place for this. For that matter, you don't have to say hiatus in your summary but put it in the last author's note instead. Stating 'Hiatus' or 'Incomplete' in the summary may scare away potential readers, but it is the best place for the readers to see.

**Character Death: **Some people don't like it, some people do. You can choose to warn readers in the summary, although it could potentially ruin the surprise. If the story is simply a one-shot it's fine, but I wouldn't advise for larger stories. Unless of course the story is about someone dying or someone who has died. If it's a major plot point then go ahead and say it. Otherwise, surprise can be your ally.

**Episode/Chapter:** Lots of authors like to point out where in the show/manga the fanfic starts out, stating in the summary "Begins after episode 25". This isn't necessary but it is convenient to the readers who want to know when in FMA the story is taking place. Most of the time though it is clear, by what the summary says, around when the story takes place, such as "After the events at lab 5, Ed and Al set out to…". Just know you can either state the episode/chapter the story begins or you don't have to point it out and they can guess on their own just by the summary. Either way, for stories that are tied in more with the original storyline it is good to use, for AU stories and such it's less needed.

For fics involving real-world OCs I advise against this. Let the readers find out, just as the OC finds out. It'll leave a little mystery to solve by both the OC and readers and will also give the readers a connection with the OC.


	9. Editor-Beta-Writer's Block

**Editor/Beta/Writer's Block**

**This section will describe the importance of having an editor/beta and how to get past writer's block**

**EDITOR/BETA**

Let's face it, even the best writers make mistakes. We're all human and none of us are perfect. We're all prone to mistakes and our skills can always be improved upon. Take me for example. I've been seriously writing for five years now, been editing for almost a year now, and I _still_ have a lot to learn. I can admit that I am not a perfect writer and there's things I could improve on and that I make mistakes. I'm humble about my writing, as all writers should be. Humility can take you far and, if you accept that your writing isn't perfect, you'll be open to learn many things.

Now that you've faced the reality that you lack the perfection of a Mary-Sue (for which you should be grateful) we can move on to a very important aspect of writing, one that will teach you a great many things: editors. Essentially, editors and betas are the same thing: they both edit writing. Many of you probably edit your own writing. That's highly encouraged but don't stop there! Take the next step and let _someone else _edit it for you. Why? Well, I'll list some reasons.

**Why do I need an editor?**

**1) **Every writer is biased to their own work. When we proofread our own writing we tend to overlook mistakes, several times even, because our brains put in what we want or expect to see and, therefore, we don't see some of our own mistakes. And sometimes, what makes sense to us won't make sense to others. When you have an outside perspective (an editor) look over your work they can see so much more. They can tell you where mistakes are, what fits, what doesn't, the transitions in the paragraphs, holes in the plot, just about everything! Editors are wondrous creatures that should be taken advantage of!

**2) **Editors, along with editing the writing itself, can help with the plot as well. One of the best ways to develop plot is to discuss it with someone else. Talking with someone else about your story can get your creative juices flowing. And your editor can give you a great many ideas that you never thought of before, as well as telling you what points won't work. They're already familiar with the story, so they are the best person to go to for help. Exploit them.

**3) **Editors can make you a better writer. Not only can they fix your mistakes, they can give you writing advice, such as, "You're putting your commas in the wrong places." or "Your sentences tend to be run-ons." They'll point out what you're doing wrong and tell you how to improve upon it. Saying this, your editor should be a more experienced writer than yourself or at least close to your level. Why? Well, let's think of writing as a ninth grade student looking for a tutor. This ninth grader wouldn't go to a sixth grader for help on his math, would he? No, he'd ask another ninth grader or someone in a higher grade or even a teacher. That way, the student will learn from the more experienced person, just as writers should learn from their more experienced editors.

All of this being said, you shouldn't become an editor until you've gained a substantial amount of experience under your belt. But once you've gotten into the swing of writing and have a well enough grasp on it, then I implore you to begin editing for others. It's a whole different rowboat than just writing, but it can help you improve as well. Get used to fixing others' mistakes and you'll be more able to fix your own, giving you a sharper eye when you go to proofread your works.

**The Editing Process:**

After you write a chapter, never go right ahead and post it. Go back and read the whole thing over again and see the chapter as a whole, along with fixing the mistakes of course. If you decide to change something, go back over that section again and make sure that it works. If you really have the patience, proofread the chapter a second time. It never hurts to look back over things another time. Once you've got everything like you want, send it to your editor/beta. If you don't have one on here, then have someone you know look it over for you. And when they're done with it, I suggest reading the chapter one last time so you can see the changes that have been made. It'll help you see where you went wrong and how to avoid it in the future. With all of that done, then post it.

It sounds like a long process, and it most certainly can be, but it's extremely helpful. If you have no one to edit for you though, it's not the end of the world. Simply edit for yourself as much as you can. It's much harder to do, because of that whole biased opinion thing, but it's far better than nothing.

**WRITER'S BLOCK**

Ever get that horrible feeling like your muse has died? Well trust me, it hasn't died… It's just hiding very, very, very well. All you have to do is find it. There are many ways to go about doing that, a lot of them being the same as getting in the mood for writing. Essentially, you just need to become inspired! So I'll give you some tips to getting over writer's block.

**Read your story:** If you've been working on a story for a long time you can potentially forget things, or if you haven't written on a particular story in forever this can help you. Read back over the whole thing if you want, or just your favorite parts. Who knows, it might reignite that creative spark within you that led you to write the story in the first place, thus leading you to get pumped to write the new chapter.

**Read the reviews: **Or the good ones at least. They'll be sure to give you plenty of encouragement.

**Watch FMA:** Sometimes the writer's block concerns the FMA characters and difficulty in deciding what they would do, or perhaps your having trouble deciding on which direction in the storyline you want to go. Watching the show will get you reacquainted with the characters and seeing the storyline play out with your eyes will help you visualize the various paths your story could take.

**Talk it out:** Don't keep it inside. Talk it out with someone, preferably your editor. Attempting to describe the situation aloud will help you push past the block in your mind. And the other person you talk to will surely have some good ideas to give you. Also, talking to someone will help excite you about writing it. It's all about getting inspired!

**Write an outline: **If you know what you want to write but just can't seem to get it out, try mapping out an outline of the chapter or chapters you're working on. Plot the major points that you want to happen, then go back in and insert more details in between. This especially helps when you're trying to get from point A to point C and need to figure out what point B will be.

**Follow your muse: **Sometimes your muse isn't hiding; it's just being stubborn or is distracted. In these times, you should follow your muse. Sit down and write anything that comes to you, even if it's not for the story you're currently working on. Maybe your muse wants to start a different story altogether. Maybe it just wants to write something different for a change. Just follow the flow and it could lead you to great places.

**Take a step back: **Is it just not coming to you? If you're trying to force it out, is the writing lacking? Then you need to take a step back, my friend. Sometimes, you just can't force it out. You've got to let it come to you until that stroke of inspiration hits. Give it some time and come back to it later; go do something else for awhile and let it come in it's own time. Whatever you do, don't write if you're heart isn't in it.

**Push through it:** This is when all other methods fail. I don't recommend forcing it out…but sometimes, it's necessary. Try to sit down and write it, even if it's not sounding like you want. You can always go back and rewrite. But this will at least help you get the gist of it out of your system. Perhaps then you'll be able to look and see what you really do want and what is absolute crap destined to be deleted.

Having said all of these methods, I've used each one occasionally and found all of them useful. I myself am partial to reading my story and writing outlines (I even have an outline for this guide), but that's just me. Some of the other methods may be the one for you.


	10. Updating-Reviews

**Updating/Reviews**

**This section will discuss how often to update and how to receive and leave reviews**

**UPDATING**

"Ooooh, the pain! The terrible agony! I can't live like this! I think I'm dying!"

"LeFay…what's wrong?"

"This person needs to update their story! I MUST FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!"

"…and here I thought it was something serious."

"THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH! Of course it's serious!"

That horrible feeling when the amazing story you're reading runs out of chapters… Raise your hands if you've ever felt like this. I have plenty of times. And just imagine, many people have felt this way about _your_ stories. You, yes you the person that is reading this. Your eager fans are waiting right now for you to update, but how should you go about updating? Many people just update whenever they get around to writing their story. Others have their own updating schedule they try to stick to. You could go either way but sticking to a schedule will more than likely bring you more readers while keeping yourself organized in your writing.

**Scheduled Updating: **

Why have a schedule for your updating? The readers know you will continue the story (many readers won't read a story if they think it won't be completed because no one likes an unfinished story). This will encourage them to stick with the story. It will also give you a drive to write more, knowing you have to update by a specified time. And if you write more, then you'll be able to update more often. Which leads to the question of _how often_ you should update.

Every person writes at their own pace. Some average, some ungodly slow, some inhumanly fast. Know thyself before you set up a schedule. Writing pace is one factor; another factor is chapter length. Some chapters are average (in my opinion, that's about 4-5,000 words). Some chapters fall short or long of that. Depending on chapter length and writing pace you can determine your update schedule. And then there's that other variable we tend to forget about called real life. It can be very distracting or nonexistent. Or maybe you're working on more than one story. Really it all comes down to what _you_ think you can handle.

Personally I think updating once a week is a great way to go. It's frequent enough to keep readers coming back and bring in new readers every week, while it also gives you enough time to write the chapters. If you write longer chapters, at a slower pace, or have a busy life, then I suggest once every two weeks. I definitely wouldn't advise doing one a month or later. People might forget about your story… For stories such as drabbles I'd recommend every week or twice a week (since they're so short). I wouldn't advise updating more than twice a week. You should give the readers time to read what you've given to them so that they'll review. If you update really quickly then they might skip reviewing one chapter to go read the next chapter. So don't update too quick to where you don't get much feedback but don't take too long to where you lose readers.

My final piece of advice would be to set your updating schedule up on your profile, preferably at the bottom. Do this especially if you have other ongoing stories. This enables the readers to know exactly when you update a certain story. Plus, this is a great spot to inform them if you will be missing an update. If you will be missing an update, it's a good idea to tell them when you will be able to update the story. Also, if you have a story on hold but don't want to put that in the summary(because it might discourage readers from reading) the update schedule is a good place to say that. If you want to go the extra mile you can put up percentages of how complete the new chapter is. For instance, say, "New chapter 25% done." That'll enable readers to track the progress of their favorite story and see that hope is on the horizon.

**REVIEWS**

Let's face it, reviews are the bane of our existence. As fanfictors, we strive to receive feedback (generally positive), to know what we're doing right, wrong, or just because it makes us happy to hear someone praise us. It's our crack and we are happily addicted. So how do we get more of our fixes?

**How to receive more reviews:**

**-** Be direct and polite by asking (nicely) for reviews in the end author's notes of your chapters. Take it a step further by assuring the readers that you are open to all kinds of criticism and advice.

-Don't update too fast, otherwise the readers might skip reviewing one chapter to go read the next.

**- **Don't demand reviews. Some people demand a certain amount of reviews before they update. That doesn't sit right with me, nor does it encourage me to review. In fact, it makes me want to do the exact opposite and just not review. Firstly, if your story is good then you shouldn't have to demand for reviews because people will want to tell you how good it is. Secondly, reviews are nice but you shouldn't write for them or other people. Writing is about way more than that. Write because it's enjoyable and the story deserves to be written, and update stories because someone out there may read it and enjoy it too, even if they don't review.

** -** Do something creative. For example, in one of my stories in my author's note I had a little game going on. I had trapped someone in the review box and the only way to free him was to submit a certain amount of reviews. It was a fun way to get the readers involved and even if the review limit for his release was never met, the readers were assured that I would still update anyway. Another fun thing to do is offer virtual cookies and such to the readers who review. And who doesn't like a virtual cookie? Not very filling but has an amazing zero calories!

**-** Review other peoples stories. Reviewing other people's stories might entice those authors to reciprocate by checking out _your_ stories. And it's a good way to get your name out there. The more people see your name the more recognizable you are. If they're looking around for stories to read and see some story you wrote, they might think, "Huh, I've seen their name around…I'm gonna check 'em out!" It goes without saying though not to leave flames as reviews. If they know you leave flames then they'll be disinclined to read your stories.

**-** Ask questions about the story and/or chapter in your end author's notes. Sometimes the readers don't review simply because they don't know what to say. Give them the initiative they need by asking questions like, "Do you guys think Hawkeye was in character?" or, "How was the chapter's pace? Rushed? Dragging?" or, "What was your favorite part of the chapter?"

**Answering Reviews:**

A great aspect of this website is the ability to interact with the readers. Answering reviews informs the readers that you appreciate their review. Does that mean you have to answer every single review or any at all? No, it doesn't, but if the readers are assured then they will be more likely to leave more reviews in the future. And if your story receives a large amount of reviews, it can be pretty taxing to answer them all. But I encourage you to at least respond to the ones who ask you questions so they aren't left hanging (as long as your answer isn't a spoiler).

Generally, the system is set up for the author to reply to the reviewer through a private message, but many author's respond by putting a list of replies within the new chapter of the story either in the beginning author's note or the end one. Some readers might be annoyed by it, others might be entertained by reading all of your responses to each individual review. It's really up to you if you want to go this route, but remember that your responses are out there for everyone to see.

When responding to reviews, you don't want to be disrespectful or upset your reader. You could lose them as a reader. And really, people come to fanfiction to have fun reading or to better their skills as a writer, not for confrontation and needless drama. We get enough of that in the…le gasp, _real world_. So remember to keep things lighthearted. But then, what about the reviews that are flames? What are you supposed to do about those? They may anger you, but the best option is to be the better person, ignore them, and move on. Sometimes you have to because the flame is left as a guest review. But if you must reply to them (if they were signed in, that is), then I still say you should be the better person. Perhaps tell them they were out of line, that the review system is to help improve the writers by giving them advice, not insulting them to hell and back. If they can't back up their reasons for saying things like, "This sucks. You should give up as a writer," then they have no business reviewing. This is just their opinion and if they think it so bad, they didn't have to read it in the first place. Simply tell them these facts, keep it polite, and move on.

**Leaving Reviews:**

So what are reviews for again? They're to help improve the writer by giving them advice on what needs improving and how to improve on it, or a way for the readers to praise the writing by telling the author what they enjoyed and what they excel at writing. They are not there for leaving insulting critiques (say no to flames kids). Like when responding to reviews, you should be respectful and polite when leaving them as well. It's perfectly fine to give your opinion and say something like, "I didn't enjoy this chapter," as long as you explain your reason why, "It felt too rushed to be realistic," and then follow up with advise on how to fix the problem, "Try to lengthen your scenes by adding more details, more dialogue, and try to draw it out more."

Maybe giving writing advice isn't your forte; maybe you're not a writer yourself and are simply here to enjoy reading the stories. You can still leave the author a worthwhile review. But what if you don't know what to say in the review? Talk about what you liked in the chapter, what shocked you, what made you laugh. Tell them your favorite part, how you reacted to certain parts. Authors love to hear the readers' reactions! Along with your reactions, try guessing what will happen next, guess where things are leading in the story, give theories on whatever mysteries are there. You could also ask questions about parts of the story if you're curious or confused. Most authors don't mind that at all and will reply.

Try to review as much as you can! Sometimes it takes quite a while to write down all of your thoughts, sometimes it only takes a minute. The authors will appreciate whatever you give them (flames aside). And even if it's a story that was written five years ago and has over a thousand reviews, you might be inclined to think, "This was written so long ago," or, "They already have so many reviews." Trust me, they love each and every one. It doesn't matter that it was written long ago or that they have a lot of reviews already. That shouldn't matter. Give them your thoughts via reviews. Trust me, they will be grateful.


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